Saranda / Albania

Archive Jutta Around The World

2024 Corfu / Greece | Saranda / Albania

Cruise Mein Schiff 6 - Adriatic with Zadar from 21.07.-28.07.2024

Off to the unknown Albania
July 24, 2024
Photos are my property, and I take no responsibility for links.

The island of Corfu has a lot to offer. I actually wanted to visit Sissi, that is, her castle. However, it was closed for renovations. After some deliberation, I stumbled upon the excursion offered by the shipping company. Well, why not head over to Albania.
Excursion description from the Mein Schiff app:

The excursion, summarized briefly:

• About 30 minutes round trip by public hydrofoil to the Albanian mainland

• About 1-hour bus ride to the UNESCO World Heritage site Butrint

• Approximately 1.5-hour guided tour of the archaeological site

• A local typical lunch is included

• Concluding city tour of Corfu Town, approximately one hour

Duration approximately 7.5 hours

The meeting point was directly at the ship. The tour guide responsible for Corfu welcomed us, and we took the harbor shuttle to the cruise terminal. There, each participant received a bottle of water.
Now it was time to queue at the terminal. By now, it was clear why water was being distributed😀. We were leaving Greece, so a passport check was necessary. As we were crossing over to Albania by public ferry, people streamed in from various entrances. A bit chaotic, but ultimately we made it to the designated ferry.

The crossing with the hydrofoil was relaxed. It was probably fully booked, but everyone had their seat.

After about 30 minutes, we arrived in Saranda, Albania, where our tour guide for Albania welcomed us. Our Greek tour guide is not allowed to continue her work here.
First task 😀, please set your watch back by 1 hour.
Next, we continued by bus to Butrint to the archaeological site.

Our Albanian tour guide, along with his Greek colleague, provided us with plenty of information. Below are some impressions from this rather extensive terrain.

After visiting the World Heritage site, we headed back to Saranda to the Hotel Mediterrane. Here, we were served a small complimentary lunch, which included a drink. Nothing special, but very tasty.

We then had some time until the departure of the ferry back to Corfu. Our tour guide decided to include a short trip to the old fortress. From there, there was a great view all the way to Corfu.

After this brief photo stop, we headed to the dock and took the hydrofoil back to Corfu Town. After the dock, everything else was again taken over by our Greek tour guide.

On the way back, we almost had the boat to ourselves. It felt like being on a plane.

After the passport control upon arrival in Corfu Town at the terminal, the bus for the city tour awaited us.
As is usual with such city tours, you don't really see much. There was only one short stop.

Back at the cruise terminal, we followed our tour guide's advice and took a look in the duty-free shop. Corfu has a special status, and you can really find many things there at a cheaper price.

Conclusion:
Great excursion in Albania. For visiting Butrint, you should be in good walking condition due to the uneven paths and stairs.
Corfu Town should be completely omitted because there's not enough time to see more.